The present invention relates to a wearable or body-worn computer or data input system and peripheral sensing devices wherein the system is incorporated into a garment intended to protect the wearer from threats to personal safety, such as from ballistic/puncture penetration, nuclear, biological, and chemical attack, perimeter penetration, presence of hostile threat, and personal vital signs/physical environment monitoring.
Military and law enforcement personnel are increasingly reliant on computing and communications equipment to enhance performance of their duties. An example of such, is the radio transceiver that is commonly attached to the shirt worn by police officers. Further, the military has moved into the realm of information-based warfare with its Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (usually referred to as C4I) system that, inter alia, allow remotely located commanders the ability to monitor and control military personal in the field. The types of C4I peripherals military personal would need include tactical video or audio equipment, scent, sound, or motion detection, video or audio capture, radios, listening devices, IR detection, night vision equipment, etc. Additionally, personnel are often mandated to wear protective body armor, such a ballistic vest, while on duty or in an elevated threat environment.
Currently, an individual wearing a protective garment and wanting the functionality of a computer would have to attach or carry a wearable computer and peripheral devices appended to the garment or person of the wearer. The problems associated with this arrangement include the lack of protection from shock due to blunt force trauma, the lack of protection from environmental effects, and vulnerability due to exposed wires, and physical encumbrance.
One type of protective garment is a ballistic vest which has been available in recent years as a protective panel having overlying layers of a fabric typically thought not exclusively made from woven high tensile strength ballistic resistant polymeric fibers or other protective material. An example of such woven fabrics is KEVLAR which has been used successfully in military and law enforcement armored ballistic vests because of the high energy absorption properties of the fabric material. Many other types of body armor contemplated for use in the instant invention employ a multiplicity of fabrics, ceramics, and material intended to protect the wearer such as but not limited to those produced by Second Chance Body Armor of Central Lake, Mich. The MONARCH Ultra PRO by Second Chance Body Armor offers ballistic protection against 9 mm, 0.357""s, 0.40 caliber, 0.44 magnum handguns, etc. Another type of body armor that could be used for the instant invention is the type sold by Point Blank Body Armor, Inc. of Oakland Park, Fla. Any other suitable material may be used if it possesses these desirable characteristics. However, these garments have not been constructed to take advantage of the benefits of wearable computers.
Also known in the art are protective materials designed to shield the wearer from puncture wounds. This type of assault is different then ballistic projectiles in that the energy of the penetrating object is focused over a much smaller surface area, such as the tip of an ice pick, nail, or like pointed object. An example of such is U.S. Pat. No. 5,960,470 (Bachner) which is sold under the trademark PRISM by Second Chance Body Armor of Central Lake, Mich. Bachner discloses a puncture resistant garment which includes a plurality of flexible layers of woven sheets positioned to overlie one another forming a puncture resistant panel, in which each of the plurality of woven sheets is constructed of aramid fibers and in which the woven sheets have a weave of at least 60 said aramid fibers per inch in one direction and at least 60 said aramid fibers per inch in another direction transverse to the first direction. Any other suitable material may be used if it possesses these desirable characteristics. Again, garments of this type have not been constructed to take advantage of the benefits of wearable computers.
A still further type of protective garment is one that protects from nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) attack. These garments range in the protection provided to the wearer from protecting the whole body to just covering the neck and w head of the individual. They are usually constructed of a composite material, such as several layers of different co-extruded or laminated plastics as is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,148. These garments also have not been constructed to take advantage of the benefits of wearable computers.
Wearable or user-supported personal computers are known in the art and are becoming increasingly important. Examples of user-supported personal computers include U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,244 (Newman I) which discloses a voice-activated, user-supported computer (mobile computer) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,844,824 (Newman II) which discloses a body-worn, hands-free computer system that does not rely upon keyboard input or activation apparatus both commonly assigned to Xybernaut Corporation of Fairfax, Va. The disclosures of these two commonly owned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,305,244 and 5,844,824 are hereby incorporated by reference into this disclosure.
Also disclosing wearable computers are U.S. Pat. No. 5,285,398 (Janik I), U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,651 (Janik II), U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,492 (Janik III), U.S. Pat. No. 5,798,907 (Janik IV), U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,490 (Carroll I) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,572,401 (Carroll II). Each Janik patent discloses a belt computer containing the elements or components of a computer. For example, in Janik I, the plurality of computing elements are located on the belt and a flexible signal relaying means connects all of the elements for computing. A protective covering is used for enclosing said computer elements. In Janik II, a similar belt computer is described and claimed in which the signal relaying means, the length of which between any two computing elements, is greater than the length of the wearable member between any two computing elements. In each Janik patent, the flexible wearable computer is in the form of a relatively heavy belt comprising around its periphery sequentially positioned computer elements.
Both Carroll I and Carroll II disclose a wearable support and interconnection structure for a modular microcomputer system having a plurality of microcomputer cards housed in a plurality of microcomputer card pockets in a wearable garment. Examples of such garments include a pliable garment worn over the torso of the user (vest), a cap that fits snugly on user""s head or in the form of a belt. In one embodiment, the pockets are linked by a plurality of channels extending from pocket to pocket that secure an electronic linking system to the wearable garment. The linking system includes a plurality of flat flexible cables encasing flexible circuitry and microcomputer card connectors. A card connector opens into each pocket to receive a microcomputer card. Each connector is operable, coupled to the cables such that when microcomputer cards are placed in the connectors and provided with power, an operational microcomputer system is created.
The wearable computers and garments of the Janik and Carrol patents are disclosed as being contained in a flexible or pliable housing. These are neither protected by a material that is resistant to penetration by ballistic projectiles nor integrated into a protective garment and therefore do not provide suitable level of protection for many law enforcement or military personnel activities.
Further examples of the incorporation of computing equipment and peripheral devices into a garment worn by the operator are discussed below. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,876,724, Suzuki describes a personal sound system concealed within garment, such as a jacket or vest. Specifically, the sound system is composed of battery power supply, amplifier, CD player, tape player, and loudspeakers which are distributed amongst various Velcro fastened or zipper fastened pockets formed on the front portion of the garment, on the sleeve, and on the back. Electrical cables to connect those components are run around the garment covered by a snap fastened or Velcro fastened fabric flap and thus not protected.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,310, Little discloses a portable data input device or computer system comprising a display and processing module including input devices such as a keyboard or scanner which can be carried or secured to a garment, such as a vest. The system components can be housed in the pockets of the garment when not in use. When the system is in use, the display may be flipped up so that the operator may view the displayed data while the display in still in the pocket. System batteries are contained in one or more separate pockets in the garment and all signaling and power connections between various components are provided by flexible cabling incorporated into the garment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,338, Wessling III discloses a body integral electronics package housing formed of cloth material that simulates the user""s garment, such as a poncho or vest, and contains a front pocket or flap that overlies the chest and midriff portions of the user""s body. The electronics modules are confined within various pockets or flaps. Each module is individually supported to the cloth material within the pocket by hook and loop type fasteners or other appropriate type fasteners.
Further, Levi Strauss has recently teamed up with Phillips NV to create Levi""s ICD+ which is a jacket that has a communication system built into it. The jackets are marketed to be more then just having special pockets for gadgets, but to offer a complete personal area network that acts as a backbone for connecting the electronics. The jacket has a communications system that connects a mobile phone, an MP3 player, speakers, microphone, and a display built into it. The wires are concealed under the fabric and the devices operate by a remote control unit.
However, the prior art garments which house computer systems lack intended ballistic and incision protection and ruggedness needed in many military and law enforcement applications where the computer components and/or the wearer needs to be protected from impact, shock, environmental hazards, field conditions, and tactical environment. Therefore, there is a need for the integration of a wearable computer and/or C4I peripheral equipment into a protective garment.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a wearable computer and garment system which is devoid of the above mentioned shortcomings.
It is also an object of this invention to provide a novel wearable computer and garment system.
It is an additional object of the present invention to integrate a wearable computer system with a garment of personal protection and or concealment.
It is a further object of the present invention to increase the functionality of a garment of personal protection by allowing the user access to a computer and/or computer peripherals.
It is still a further object of the present invention to improve the durability of a wearable computer and its components by adding armor, shock, and weather protection to the computer system.
It is yet an additional object of this invention to provide a novel wearable computer and garment system which protects the wearer from observation and bodily harm by projectile objects, sharp piercing objects and/or NBC attacks.
These and additional objects of the present invention are accomplished generally by a wearable computer system and/or C4I equipment with all of the system components incorporated into an item(s) of personal wear, for example into a garment such as a vest-like garment, protective jacket, etc. that is shielded by a layer of armor or protective fabric, material, composite substance intended to protect the wearer from threat. The outer fabric of the garment may be camouflaged or made of other types of material that provides concealment to protect the wearer from observation. The armored protective garment will completely support the processing unit, input device, and any C4I or peripheral attached to the processing unit wherein the components are restrained such that they will not accidentally become unattached from the garment, but can be selectively removed by the user.
One or more batteries, power supply, or power generation units contained in pockets or otherwise supported on the garment or wearer provide all operating power for the system. The cables or conductors may be sewn into channels or tracks in the garment, woven into the fabric of the garment, or otherwise conducted throughout the garment. Alternatively, the electrical connections can be wireless, i.e, Bluetooth or Bluetooth-like protocols, including any suitable type of electrical connection means or any known or future wireless protocols can be used.
In one embodiment of the present invention, a law enforcement, corrections officer or military person will wear the vest housing the components of the wearable computer and/or C4I peripherals. The person will be afforded the same level of protection provided by state-of-the art ballistic and/or penetration vests but will also have available access to computer and communication resources in a substantially hands free and non-burdensome manner. Preferably the components of the computer are distributed throughout the vest in a manner which optimizes comfort and balance of mass for the wearer, while minimizing any restriction of motion over a simple ballistic and/or penetration vest absent an integrated wearable computer system.
In an alternative to, or enhancement of the embodiment of the present invention, the garment may be a suit rather than a ballistic vest, such as a suit worn by a person working in an environment subject to ambient nuclear, biological, and/or chemical agents. In this embodiment, the suit will integrally contain the components of a wearable computer and/or C4I peripherals. The suit may accommodate the wearable computer equipment in a pocket configuration or the equipment may be integrated into the garment.
In the present invention a lightweight display is used including a head-mounted display, a flat panel display, a wrist display, a torso-worn display, a neck or collar mounted display, a shoulder-supported display and others or mixtures thereof. Each display could be wireless connected or hard wired connected to the computing unit as appropriate or configured suitable to functionality.
The foregoing and additional objects and advantages of the invention together with the structure characteristics thereof, which is only briefly summarized in the foregoing passages, becomes more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description and preferred embodiments, which follow in this specification, taken together with the illustration thereof presented in the representative accompanying drawings.